Chapter 201 Allies
As night fell, the faint light from his arm illuminated their complex expressions.
"I heard there's a plague spreading," I said, turning the conversation to another point of concern. "The kind that causes people's skin to become marbled and eventually frost crystals to form. What happened to those people?"
Jiang Wang's expression grew more serious. "The situation was very critical. The disease spread very quickly, and conventional medical treatment was almost ineffective. Fortunately..."
He paused, looked at me, and seemed to hint at something:
"The bureau promptly obtained key research data and developed a targeted inhibitor. While it can't cure the disease, it has effectively curbed its spread and reduced the mortality rate. It's a blessing in disguise."
He didn't specify the source of the data, but with his keen sense, he probably guessed it. It seemed that Xiaobai had successfully delivered the information.
"That's good." I breathed a sigh of relief. This was indeed one of the few good news I had heard recently.
However, Jiang Wang's tone suddenly changed, his voice filled with even deeper confusion and caution: "But troubles always come one after another. The plague hasn't completely subsided, and another problem has begun to emerge."
"What's the matter?" I asked.
"Belief."
Jiang Wang spat out these two words, his brow furrowed. "These aren't the known cults and old god worships we've documented before. These are brand new, completely unheard-of beliefs and 'gods' that have popped up like mushrooms after rain in various survivor strongholds, even in some small safe zones."
After he said that, I suddenly felt a little guilty, but I didn't show it on my face.
He described it in detail: "Some worship the so-called 'Lord of Thorns,' claiming to be able to control plants and fight against desolation; some believe in 'The Thousand Faces,' saying that a thousand years represents all living things; and some follow 'Eternal Night,' which sounds uncanny, but claims to bring 'eternal tranquility.' ... There's a wide variety, but they all share one characteristic: they seem to be actively rejecting and attacking the 'Old Gods' we know of, the beliefs that bring disaster and pollution."
I listened quietly, my heart racing. Lord of Thorns? Thousand Faces? Eternal Night? These names matched the information I'd learned about certain members of the Secret Garden Society!
Some of them are even themselves.
But I can understand it. After all, I am one of them and I certainly know what they are thinking.
They are no longer content to dominate world affairs from the shadows.
The approach of reincarnation is too urgent and everyone is under great pressure.
They began to take action personally, actively spreading their own beliefs, snatching believers and anchors, in order to weaken the power of the old gods and strengthen themselves!
Replacing old gods with new ones is essentially suppressing one kind of chaos with another.
In this process, new conflicts and sacrifices will inevitably be created. As Jiang Wang said, behind the intensified frictions in various places, it is probably these new beliefs that are fanning the flames, inciting emotions, and undermining the old order.
But I have no choice. Even though I absorbed Gali's power, I am not much stronger than the people in the Secret Garden Society. People like me are not isolated cases.
I can't stop the Secret Garden from causing chaos, nor can I currently fight against the old gods. Spreading faith is also my urgent need.
But... I have a stupid idea.
A delicate balance has been maintained among the members of the "Secret Garden Society". Due to the need to jointly fight against the old gods, no large-scale internal strife has occurred for the time being.
And if I want to spread my faith, I don't necessarily have to personally create chaos.
If you want to become a "God", you must at least make your believers live a better life.
Seeing that I remained silent for a long time, Jiang Wang continued, "The bureau is having a headache right now. These newly emerged beliefs are difficult to simply define as good or evil. They are indeed fighting against the evil we know, but at the same time they are all competing for population and resources, using different methods, making them difficult to control. The whole situation... is like a pot of stew with too many ingredients thrown in, and it's getting more and more complicated."
He looked at me, his eyes a little confused in the dim light. "Ji Ling, what's wrong with this world? Are we ultimately going to have to rely on believing in something we don't know what it is in order to survive?"
I cast my gaze into the deeper darkness beyond and spoke, "It's not because they're powerful that they're called gods. Gods are gods because they can carry people's hopes and lead people toward a bright future with the power of faith."
I turned to look at him seriously and said, "If someone can feed others, even if they are just mortals, why can't they be called gods? If those true gods only have power but ultimately lead to destruction, what's the point of worshipping such gods?"
The hilly area was silent under the night sky, with only the blue light flowing from Jiang Wang's arm providing a faint but firm illumination. As he listened to me, the confusion in his eyes faded slightly, replaced by a deep thought.
"Just because you can feed mortals... does that make you a god?" He repeated, the faint smile on his lips transforming into a more complex emotion. "Your statement is different from any theological theory recorded in the bureau's files. It sounds... more realistic, and more difficult."
"Because this isn't theology, it's simply the simplest need for survival," I replied calmly. "Live, live a little more like a human being, not a beast or a sacrifice. Anyone who can do this, whether human or otherwise, is worthy of being followed, isn't it?"
Jiang Wang was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Perhaps you're right. In today's world, being able to provide a stable roof over one's head and a piece of bread to fill one's stomach is indeed more like a 'miracle' than any vague promise." He flexed his glowing arm, feeling the steady power within it. "Just like you helped me just now... This is more useful than ten thousand verses of 'God bless the world.'"
I coughed and turned away.
"So," he looked at me, his gaze sharper, "you chose to stay in this chaos. Do you want to take this... more difficult path? To become the 'god' you speak of in your own way?"
I didn't directly admit or deny it, but simply asked, "Do you think there's a better way? Join the new religious carnival that's creating chaos? Or return to the system and watch order crumble bit by bit, powerless to do anything?"
Jiang Wang was speechless for a moment.
After a long moment, he spoke again.
"At least... you're not facing this alone." He finally said, his tone filled with a complex insistence. "Even if you've forgotten some things, even if you've chosen a different path, Ji Ling, we... I can still be your ally, not your enemy."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
